Africa Zambia Rodney Sikumba, Minister of Tourism, has been recognised by Safari Club International as the 2026 International Legislator of the Year, a distinction highlighting his role in promoting sustainable-use conservation and wildlife policy on the global stage
Europe Slovakia GymBeam, Slovakia’s biggest fitness brand, built a regional e-commerce empire from Košice; now, after attracting investors for €110 million, is moving its headquarters to Austria
America Saint Lucia To strengthen national capacity in rapid HIV and syphilis testing and improving the quality of laboratory services across Saint Lucia, a Master Trainers Training Programme was held as part of the OECS Global Fund HIV/TB Project
Africa Seychelles Seychelles has been officially voted the Indian Ocean’s Best Cruise Destination for the fifth consecutive year at the World Cruise Awards Gala Ceremony 2025 held in Bahrain earlier this month
Asia Uzbekistan Strategy and Action Plan 2026-2030 will ensure practical and systematic implementation of Law “On the Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence”; Uzbekistan then joined the Bogotá Commitment to zero tolerance for violence against children
Africa Botswana Botswana-born visual artist Totang Motoloki unveiled mixed–media works that redefine 'Home' using recycled street tins and traditional Tswana techniques; the solo exhibition at Lannieus Sanitas gallery in Gaborone is part of contemporary Art Botswana 2025
Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia’s parliament opened way to building a disposal facility for radioactive waste from the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant in Slovenia and from domestic hospitals and industry in Cerkezovac, only 3km away from the border with BiH and the Una National Park
Europe Finland The Director General of Finland’s Social Insurance Institution Kela has taken extended medical leave until the end of May 2026 after being diagnosed with a serious illness while on a work trip to Brussels
Oceania Samoa Aviation safety in Samoa and across the Pacific has improved with a new Automated Weather Observing Station AWOS at Fagali’i Airport; supported by continuous StarLink connectivity, it will provide real-time aviation weather information across the country
Africa Niger Niger will host 10th edition of African Exhibition of Invention and Innovative Enterprise SAIIT in 2026; the designation was voted at the 65th board session of the OAPI African Intellectual Property Organization, on entrepreneurship and innovative economy
Asia Iraq The first European commercial flight landed in Baghdad after a suspension of over 35 years, a recognition of sustained efforts to upgrade operational, technical, and security requirements at Iraqi airports in line with international aviation standards
Africa Madagascar The new urban train officially departed Soarano station on Monday 15 December at 7:30 a.m. with guests on board and opened to the public yesterday, with the first departure from Soarano to Ambohimanambola starting with two daily round trips for commuters
Africa Gabon An intensive training in environmental and investigative journalism started in Libreville; organized by NGO WildAid with the Ministry of Communication, it aims to improve media coverage of nature conservation, environmental governance, eco-crimes
Europe Albania Judges could raise their retirement age to 75 to help reduce the backlog of court cases; the proposal has been discussed by the parliament commission working on a series of technical amendments to justice reform laws, in the absence of opposition